Over-sampling detector array and re-sampling technique for a cone-beam computed tomography system

Abstract

An over-sampling detector array employs a plurality of rows of detectors, the height of each of the rows in use for a helical scan being smaller than the intended slice thickness for reconstruction. Over-sampled collected projection data are re-sampled along the translation axis according to the slice thickness. As a result, the slice profile is enhanced and the projection data are more consistent from all view angles, leading to an improvement in image resolution along the translation axis and fewer reconstruction artifacts in the image. The detector array may have the same row height for all rows, or may have different row heights in different rows. Data collected by rows of height equal to or less than the slice thickness are used for reconstruction. In a preferred embodiment, the heights of the detectors of outer rows increase progressively and gradually with respect to the height of the middle rows. In a preferred re-sampling technique, the data are first integrated from successive rows. The re-sampling data are then calculated as the difference of the integrated data between the locations of the slice boundaries along the translation axis.